The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-05-11


ct and vanished.
She did not 90 straight to the well
though. She stole up the winding
wooden stairway first into her own room,
where the yellow glow of the sunset yet
fingered, and took two or three dried
rosebuds and a sprig of scented geranium
from a little box in the corner Of the
table-drawer.
Looking at them for a moment, she
opened the window and flung them out
into the grass below.
81 have been a fool long enough, " said
she to herself.
And then she went forth to the well
and filled the tea kettle, listening vaguely
as she did so to the melancholy "cheep-
| cheep" of the crickets in the stone wall
Mary Ami" veice uttered.
Mary Ann started so violently that she
had nearly dropped the tea-kettle.
1t was Miss Marston who had come un-
expectedly up the path, with bunch of
colored maple-leaves in her hands.
"Oh, Miss Aida, how you startled
mer'
"Took me for ghost, ehl" said Aida
Marston, laughing. "But l wanted to
| see you, Mary Ann. Goodness me-" in
tently scrutinizing her face by the last
fading CLEANS of daylight, chow pretty
the child is growing l don't blame John
for being bewitched about her"
Did you want anythingl" said Mary
Ann, bridling up little.
''I want y0u, child" said Aida Mars
ton, in the pretty, domineering manner
which, being 'school-ma'am," she had
! hol
with my sewing little, this week."
Il am afraid cannot, " said Mary Ann,
with her face turned away.
"Oh, Mary Ann-and 1 had counted
on you"
Il cannotr' frigidly repeated the girl
Miss Marston stood silent a minute or
two.
''But you haven't congratulated me
yet, Mary Ann" said she, coaxingly.
Mary Ann withdrew herself spasmedic-
ally from the light touch of her hand.
'Im sure hope you will be very
happy" said she. ''No, don't either
don't hope anything of that kind"
And she fed away, sobbing and hold
ing tight to the tea-kettle, whose spout
dripped all the way in most lachry-
matory fashion.
The kerosene lamp was lighted, when
she reached the room where the balls of
carpet rags were piled up. John Fair
weather himself was leaning against the
wooden mantle arch with his elbow in
dangerous proximity to the case of dried
| butterflies, but her aunt was nowhere to
be seen.
''She has gone upstairs" the young
man explained, in answer TO Mary AIMS
bewildered look, ito get bag of hops
for old Mrs. Hubbards' neuralgia, Are
you i'll, Mary Annl You look so white
and weary"
With gentle authority he took the tea
kettle from her hand, and set it on the
stove, Mary Ann helplessly regarding
him the while.
How tall and straight and handsome
he was! How pleasant shone the light
from his genial, hazel eyes How dearly
she had learned to love him! And now
it must all be undone again. Was it not
almost wicked to allow herself to look ad-
miringly upon the face of the man who
belonged to Aida Marstonl
With these thoughts in her heart, it
was no wonder that her expression grew
frigid as an icicle. She paid no heed to
his question.
Miss Marston was out by the well Just
now," said she. 'You will find her
there"
miss Marston, eh2" said Mr.. Fair
weather, with provoking equanimity.
''That reminds me-you haven't told me
yet what you think of our family arrange
mentsl Were you surprised2"
Mary Ann looked at him in amazement,
almost in anger.
"Of course 1 was surprised, said she.
But" gathering all her presence of
mind, IL don't know why. 1t is no bust
ness of mine!"
but it is, though, said John Fair
weather ''It has only driven me, lit
tie sooner than otherwise anticipated, to
ask you to listen to my suit. Miss Aida
must not imagine that she is the only
person in the world who can get mar
ried."
Mary Ann drew herself up.
Mr.. Fairweather,n ~ said She, Il must
beg you to remember yourself. We are
not Mormons here. Neither are you any
relation to Bluebeard In this country a
man can have but one wife,"
Mr.. Fairweather looked puzzled.
An mus puldblC 4dtl, sdlu ut- Duk
know of no one who is contradicting
it,
"How-how dare you insult me by
such words as thisl" cried poor Mary
Ann. "You, that are engaged to Miss
Aida Marston!"
'But am not engaged to Miss Aida
, Marston."
''Mr. Fairweather"
II am not indeed, he said. "Dear
little Mary Ann, do not look at me with
, such incredulous eyes! Miss Aida Mars
! ton is atfianced to my father. She is tC
? be my stcp-mother, next month; and as
would naturally, under the existing cir
e cumstances, prefer a home of my own,
! want you TO be its household angelo
"Not another word was spoken. Mary
E AIMS soft Syes, brimming over with glaC
! tears, were lifted to Johns face.
I She stole toward him and hid her Grim
! son cheek against his shoulder; his arm
: frightened itself, in the most natural man
, ner in the world, around her waist.